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Boston's Morning Newsletter
Gillette Stadium is hosting a veterans job fair today. Here's what to know
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
The wind is howling and sleet is still coming down this morning. But, fingers crossed, the T seems to be running OK so far — save for ferry cancellations and a downed tree on the Mattapan trolley tracks. Power outages are also somewhat limited (there were about 22,000 customers without power as of 8 a.m.).
Let’s get to the news:
Hire a vet: If you go to Gillette Stadium today, you’ll see some real patriots (and no, not the football players). The Boston Veterans Job Fair, hosted by nonprofits Disabled American Veterans and RecruitMilitary, will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration is free for all transitioning military, veterans, military spouses and dependents. Here’s what to know:
- What kind of jobs will be there? RecruitMilitary Event Director Allen Von Plinsky told WBUR over 70 organizations will be at the fair, with fields like manufacturing, law enforcement, education, government and logistics. Jobs also range from entry level positions to those needing years of experience. Some of the biggest opportunities will be for highly skilled workers like technicians, electricians, mechanics and avionics, according to Plinsky. “I think that’s just naturally in short supply around the United States, not even just in the veteran community,” he said.
- Do I have to preregister? Nope! Those not already signed up can register in person. The only requirement is that folks have some sort of veteran background. Plinsky said he expects close to 300 veterans to attend.
- Zoom out: In February, the national veteran unemployment rate was 2.8%. Massachusetts is under that, at 1.7%, but still has work to do when it comes to supporting veteran residents. In last year’s homeless census in Boston, 190 veterans were found to be experiencing homelessness — a 6% increase from the previous year. And a February report found one in nine of all people who died by suicide in Massachusetts were current or former military personnel.
It’s official: The Governor’s Council yesterday unanimously approved Gov. Maura Healey’s request to pardon all simple marijuana possession convictions in Massachusetts, following a hearing about the proposal. That means the pardon is effective immediately, and the state is starting to update records. Healey said the change could affect tens of thousands of people.
- Heads up: If you want to proactively request a marijuana pardon certificate, fill out an online form here.
Going home: Richard Slayman, the first living person in the world to receive a kidney transplant from a pig, was discharged from Massachusetts General Hospital yesterday afternoon. Slayman, a state transportation department manager from Weymouth, said he’s had kidney disease for years and left the hospital with “one of the cleanest bills of health [he’s] had in a long time.” “I wished [a kidney] would come for many years,” Slayman said. “Now, it’s a reality and one of the happiest moments of my life.”
- To learn more about how doctors transplanted the genetically modified kidney from a pig into a human body and why they’re so jazzed about this first-of-its-kind operation, read the full story from WBUR’s Priyanka Dayal McCluskey here.
Siri, cue “Pomp & Circumstance March No. 1”: It’s about that time of year when we get word on who will give the commencement speeches at colleges and universities across Massachusetts. Yesterday, Endicott College announced Chris Christie, former New Jersey governor and presidential candidate, as its 2024 speaker. It’s still early, but here’s a look at who else we know will address graduates this spring:
- Brandeis: Ken Burns, award-winning documentary filmmaker
- Harvard: Maria Ressa, journalist and advocate for freedom of the press
- Smith: There’s actually have five speakers, including journalist Jill Lepore and Bay State-bred costume designer Ruth Carter
- Tufts: Fiona Hill, foreign intelligence advisor and author
- UMass Chan Medical School: Gov. Maura Healey
- Worcester Polytech Institute: Nancy Pimental, actress and award-winning TV writer, and Greg Tucker, leader in flexible packaging
Eat your heart out: The 2024 James Beard Award finalists dropped yesterday and there are two names on the list Bostonians will recognize. Dorchester darling Comfort Kitchen is up for Best New Restaurant. Conor Dennehy, of Cambridge’s Talulla, is in the running for Best Chef: North East. To see all the James Beard noms from around New England, check out this roundup from Eater Boston. Winners will be announced on June 10.
P.S.— The latest episode of Beyond All Repair — which just made Vulture’s list of the best podcasts of 2024 — is up. The sixth episode of our true crime podcast brings us inside the sentencing hearing room and introduces a turning point in the case. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly named the president of Brandeis instead of this year's commencement speaker. We regret the error.
